Belizean students in Kingston during major battle in Jamrock
Christopher 'Dudus' Coke
But in the Caribbean, latest reports say that the death toll in Jamaica stands at over thirty persons including civilian and security personnel. The violent outbreak is a reaction to Prime Minister Bruce Golding’s decision to begin the process for the extradition of Christopher “Dudus” Coke. Coke has been described as one of the most powerful men in Jamaica because of the muscle he yields on the streets among the gangs and his influence in party politics as a major financier. But Coke is wanted by the United States for drug trafficking and weapons charges. Over the weekend, embolden supporters barricaded a neighborhood in Kingston, to prevent his apprehension. Amidst all the gunfire are Belizean students studying at the University of West Indies. News Five Jose Sanchez has been following the tension in Jamaica through the experience of Belizean students who are waiting out the storm on the island.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
The violence in Jamaica erupted after May twenty-third, when a warrant was signed for Michael Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke. Members of the Shower Posse gang in Tivoli Gardens have expressed willingness to die for Coke. Roads have been blocked and about thirty Belizean students in Jamaica are held up at the University of West Indies.
Via Phone: Rensi Franklin, Medical Student in Jamaica
Rensi Franklin
“We’re advised as students not to go to the downtown hospital and not to traverse in the downtown area. Over the weekend, the situation has intensified. The people in Tivoli Gardens have blocked off several—all the entrances in the area and mounted large heavy caliber machine guns on top of them and on roof tops with high powered rifles, automatic weapons. Being over by y friends house in the evening yesterday and the day before, his house is up on the hills and we have a view over Kingston and in the evening you actually see blinking lights from the roof top from random continuous fire. You hear loud explosions now. Last night they threw some flares over the area and continuous fire over and over. We can’t go anywhere after six. The country is in a state of emergency. We’re not allowed outside of our houses after six in the evening. People looting different areas, other areas are getting more upset and it affects the students that live closer to campus is that the prices of everything has been hiked up by the vendors because they can’t get to their source and everything is being bought in all the supermarkets. The supermarkets, there’s no bread, they have only a couple gallons of water, I only got flour to cook.”
Coke, who could face life imprisonment in the U.S., is allegedly considered to be one of the world’s most dangerous drug kingpins. Small police substations have already burned and a gun battle also took place at the central police station. The state of emergency is affecting the availability of basic food items.
oneyda flores
Oneyda Flores, Belizean Student in Jamaica
“If you go to the supermarket, most of the essentials are running low. Basically like zero bread on the shelves, and water and so are running out quickly. So it’s a matter of everyone being afraid and staying at home and not knowing whether or not we’ll be able to get supplies and basically everybody is just frightened as to what is going on.”
Some students are packing up their bags and returning to Belize City where it’s apparently a lot safer.
Via Phone: Oneyda Flores
“We’re students from Norman Manley Law School, we were to take exams this week, but in light of the current events, they have decided to cancel our exams or postpone it until next week, which they’ll facilitate us to take our exams back home at the UWI center. So the majority of us students from the Norman Manley Law School have permission to leave so the majority of us have made arrangements to leave by the end of this week.”
Rensi Franklin
“Another thing is the official report is only eleven people died, but unconfirmed say they’ve actually killed over a hundred and fifty people and they’re piling the bodies in trucks and carting them off.”
The Jamaica Observer reported witnesses who have seen dozens of bodies unloaded from a police armored truck outside Kingston Public Hospital. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
The Shower Posse gang is known to have ties all the way in the US, Canada, Haiti and numerous other countries. They are called the Shower Posse because they are well known to spray their enemies with bullets.
Once the police meet face to face with “Dudus” they will kill him, this man has been eluding the law for some time now, embarrassing the GOJ, while America is putting dire stress on the Government to arrest “Dudus” and send him back to America. This does not look too good for Jamaica right now.
Why are these people willing to sacrifice their lives for this drug dealer, why do they believe that he is a god in their community? Are these the average people with families doing honest jobs, me think not.
Was he taking care of his neighbourhood by passing out hundred dollar bills to the unfortunates, I suppose in this case hundred dollar bills are more important that lives there, because I am sure that his drugs are not only being shipped out of that country.
These people are stupid and I can only feel sorry for them.
Both good friends of mine, stay safe.
It is a big shame that it has come down to this but the fault falls on the corrupt Jamaican government who had refused to get rid of this guy for a very long time giving him time to prepare and better coordinate his gangs.
What the US needs to do is send in a SEAL Team and take him out…Its gonna be an effin blood bath if an eight man SEAL Team goes for him but it will be over in hours.
The students are returning to Belize City because it’s safer? Belize is a powderkeg, waiting to blow, just like Jamaica. Drug barons running the country, and no will to stop them. maybe because they are in Belmopan!
DRUGS DRUGS, WILL DESTROY THIS WORLD AND IT’S PEOPLE, DRUGS BARONS ARE THE ANTICHRISTS OF THIS WORLD, READY TO DESTROY THE PEOPLE!!!
all person caught dealing with drugs should he hang to death, and the lawyers that defend them should be hang beside them by the neck until dead dead.
Islander, for some reason you come across as A bigoted gringo red neck. Why are you suggesting that the US send in navy seals for an effin blood bath to interfere in the internal affairs of a soverign state, Jamaica? what you should be asking is how come you have NEVER, EVER heard of ANY gringo drug baron been arrested and prosecuted in the US. Ah, how come….? And by the way, The 101 in any economics classroom is the proiciple of supply and demand mr. Islander drug problem solver. so go figure…….
apparently this guy has done more for his community than the GOJ so i see it as self preservation for them really…he takes care of them they take care of him. the end!
This is a very sad situation. I think if America really want this man all they have to do is to close down Western Union and Money Gram.Hit them where it hurts the most, in their pockets.
what would a world be like if they would just legalize drugs? there would be nothing to fight over.. heck you could go to the super market and buy a pound of weed and 5 ouncez of cocain.. well if u are hell bent in destrying your life. drugs are readly available any way illigal or not!!
what would a world be like if they would just legalize drugs? there would be nothing to fight over.. heck you could go to the super market and buy a pound of weed and 5 ouncez of cocain.. well if u are hell bent in destroying your life. drugs are readly available any way illigal or not!!
BEV: you sound like you are involved with that type of life because how the hell you can condone such acts. This is why there is a lot of drugs in our country be wise is guy should be locked up his father was a drug deal too.
When govt leaders get so caught up with acquiring personal wealth and their own egos–what happened in Jamaica is the end result..
When the poor uneducated sectors are ignored & taken for-granted, the drug lords move in, lend a helping hand financially,and so the drug lords easily obtain People Power.
When will governmments get it??